A Jubilee for Jesus? — September 24, 2013

A Jubilee for Jesus?

And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long. Psalm 35:28.

While I was in England, one day there was a great parade in the streets. It was the Queen’s Jubilee. Everyone was talking about it. The shop windows were filled with her pictures, and all were extolling the queen of England. Could we have taken from the shop windows the pictures of the queen and the signs of her glory, and placed instead expressions of the glory and majesty of Jesus, would not the people have regarded us as religious fanatics? They would have thought that we were carrying religion too far. . . . But did not our Master lay aside His royal robes, His crown of glory? Did He not clothe His divinity with humanity, and come to our world to die man’s sacrifice? Why should we not talk about it? Why should we not dwell on His matchless love?

O that our tongues might lose their paralysis, that we might speak forth His praise! O that the spiritual torpor which has come upon the souls of men might be removed, that we might discern the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ! We are to be the representatives of our Lord upon earth. . . . He can communicate heaven’s light through you to those who sit in darkness. You that have claimed to know the Lord, you who profess to have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, reveal it to those around you. Show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. If men can make so much ado over the Queen’s Jubilee, if they can manifest so much enthusiasm over a finite being, can we not speak to the glory of the Prince of Life, who is so soon to come in majesty to take His weary, worn followers to Himself; to unlock the prison bars of death, and set the captives free; to give His loved ones who sleep, a glorious immortality? Why cannot Christ be introduced into our conversation? We are almost home. Let us speak courage to the weary soldiers of the cross. . . . Let us tell the pilgrims and strangers of earth that we shall soon reach a better country, even a heavenly.

That I May Know Him p. 274

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Prayer Requests

—– Mom has gotten weaker the past few weeks. The doctor feels she probably had another stroke:-((. The GOOD news is, she will be getting physical therapy, she still has a good mind. Patty

—— I asked you to pray for Esther, the girl who had some exams. Today I have learned that she passed them all. Thank you so much for praying. Stefan

—–Please continue to pray for Pastor John Bradshaw as he undergoes treatment for tongue cancer.

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Dear Friends,

Long ago, when my mother was young, she had the opportunity to visit her aunt and uncle who lived on the other side of the state in Detroit. Her friend, Mary Esther, was driving there to see someone and offered to let my mother ride with her. When Mary Esther arrived at her destination, she told my mother that she could take the city bus the rest of the way.

Surprised that her friend was not going to take her to her aunt’s house, my mother became a little flustered and a lot frightened. She didn’t tell Mary Esther how she was feeling. She just got out of the car, picked up her suitcase and her purse, and waited at the corner bus stop. When the bus arrived, the driver told her that she would have to transfer at a main connection somewhere downtown. When she got there, she saw many busses. It was so confusing. Carefully, she read the sign on each bus. At last she saw a bus that was going to Royal Oak (the suburb of Detroit where Auntie Bessie lived). She climbed aboard and handed the paper transfer to the driver. Soon, the bus left the terminal.

Unfortunately, she was not going to Royal Oak. Somehow, in her fear and confusion, she had misread the sign. After riding on that bus for awhile, it stopped and the driver told her that it was the end of the line and she would have to get off. It was only then that she realized that she was on the wrong bus, but she was too embarrassed to tell him where she was going and pay the extra fare to get back to the terminal. She just followed his orders.

Looking around her, my mother soon realized that she was not only lost, she was in a very bad neighborhood. Terror crept over her. She couldn’t get back on the bus, for it had already driven away. Just then, she saw a policeman and explained the situation to him. He hailed a taxi and headed her in the right direction. How thankful she was to finally get to her aunt’s house. How relieved she was to be in a place of safety!

How often it is the same in our life. We can sincerely believe that we are on the right road but in reality are on the wrong one. The Bible tells us, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Prov 16:25 Our Dear Saviour bids us, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matt 7:13,14 Solomon speaks of this path. “Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” Prov 4:10-27

How necessary it is that we choose the right path. Our future happiness depends on it. Our Great Redeemer has given us His Holy Word as our Guidebook. Everything in our life must be checked by it’s precepts. All that we hear, all that we see, all that we read must be measured by the Standard of All Righteousness. How important it is to daily read God’s Great Instruction Book that we may discern the heavenly path from the many paths that lead to destruction. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Heb 4:12 “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:21-25

Let us hide God’s Word in our hearts that we may follow the right path, the rugged and narrow path, that leads to His Glorious Heavenly Kingdom. Let us “study to show [ourselves] approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15 Let us declare as did David, ” I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.” Ps 119:16